By Witness Radio Team.

Germany’s state-owned development bank, KfW, is facing heavy criticism after a new report exposed how its financing is linked to land grabs, community repression, and human rights violations across the Global South. This injustice is being perpetrated against community members and human rights defenders who, in the face of such adversity, continue to oppose projects linked to KfW bravely.

The report, titled Irresponsible Banking and produced by the Coalition for Human Rights in Development, is not just a crucial revelation but a significant milestone in the fight for justice. It uncovers that while KfW projects are branded as sustainable and pro-development, their impacts tell a darker story of dispossession and violence.

KfW, which operates through its subsidiaries KfW Development Bank, DEG, and IPEX-Bank, is one of the World’s most prominent development financiers. It is backed entirely by the German state. The German government, as the sole shareholder of KfW, has a direct responsibility to ensure that the bank’s operations align with international human rights standards, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and Germany’s own Supply Chain Due Diligence Act. On paper, the bank promises to uphold strict environmental and social safeguards, respect the rights of Indigenous Peoples to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent, and protect communities from harm. In practice, however, the report finds that these promises remain an empty rhetoric.

According to the findings, several sources interviewed for this analysis, as well as reports by other human rights organizations, denounce the adverse human rights impacts of KfW-funded development projects. In particular, there are numerous cases of threats and attacks against HRDs and community members who oppose KfW-funded projects.

Communities affected by these projects are rarely given adequate information, and when consultations take place, they are frequently rushed, manipulated, or conducted in languages people cannot understand. Far from protecting Indigenous rights, the bank’s operations often sideline them altogether, leaving communities vulnerable to loss of land, culture, and livelihoods.

KfW is funded with public money and is meant to serve the public good. Instead, its negligence has left a trail of suffering. By allowing projects to proceed without proper safeguards, the bank is complicit in dispossession, violence, and environmental destruction.

“KfW calls it ‘responsible banking’, but it’s using German taxpayers’ money to bankroll projects that displace Indigenous Peoples, destroy ecosystems, and endanger human rights defenders. If KfW wants to demonstrate real responsibility, it needs to listen to local communities and ensure their voices are not silenced”, says Dalile Antunez, the report’s author and researcher at the Coalition for Human Rights in Development.

The consequences are visible in case after case. On Indonesia’s Flores Island, the Ulumbu Geothermal Plant expansion, financed with KfW support, is tearing through Indigenous Poco Leok land. Sacred sites and ancestral graves have been desecrated—local activists who resist report surveillance, intimidation, and even physical attacks. Mr. Jimmy Ginting and his fellow activists are fighting against the planned expansion of the Ulumbu Geothermal Power Plant in Poco Leok, which is being implemented by Indonesian state-owned utility company PLN Limited Liability and financed by a KfW loan. The project, which is being implemented without the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent of the Indigenous community, is a clear violation of their rights.

“By not stopping their financing of the project, KfW is actually complicit in human rights violations in Poco Leok,” says Jimmy Ginting, a local human rights defender who has been supporting the struggle of the Indigenous community in Poco Leok.

In Mexico, KfW financing has supported the Topolobampo Ammonia Plant, a project threatening critical wetlands and the livelihoods of fishing communities. Fisherfolk warn that their waters are being poisoned, their future stripped away. Yet the bank’s money continues to flow.

In Sinaloa state in Topolobampo, Mexico, KfW is working together with the company Gas y Petroquímica de Occidente S.A., by financing the construction of their ammonia plant that produces fertilizer.  Ms. Claudia Susana Quintero, who founded the collective ¡Aquí no! that is opposing the Mexican project, reported on their experiences and described the project impacts and reprisals they face.

“The ecological damage brought by the project is immense and irreversible. We are told that a loss of over 60 % of local species can be observed, not to speak of the health risks, caused by the poisonous steam from the ammonia plant and the destruction of the residential fishing site that 4000 families depend on.” She revealed during the report launch webinar, which was also aired live on Witness Radio airwaves.

KfW’s investment is now further dividing our communities. From divisionism to criminalization, reports Ms Quintero, who has been fighting for the rights of the indigenous population and nature for 11 years.

“The ecological effects are immense, but the effects on the community cannot be quantified as well. The company did not offer comprehensive information about the impacts beforehand. It had already entered and divided the community before we could organize ourselves and insist on our right of inclusion. Opposing members of the community are confronted with death threats, physical violence, and criminalisation. We were free before that, but now my family and I live in fear of retaliation. Our lives don’t mean anything to them. I go to sleep every day, thinking that one day my children and I will not wake up again.”Quintero added.

In Tanzania’s Mahenge district, the Epanko Graphite Mine, backed by DEG, another KfW subsidiary, has raised alarm over forced displacement, land loss, and reprisals. Local voices critical of the mine speak of harassment and intimidation, echoing the same pattern of neglect and abuse found in Indonesia and Mexico.

What ties these cases together is not only the harm caused but also the silence of a bank that should be protecting people, not exposing them to danger. The report highlights how KfW has no robust policy to deal with reprisals against activists. Human rights defenders who speak against destructive projects face threats, beatings, and lawsuits, while the bank looks the other way. Its lack of transparency exacerbates the problem, as affected communities often cannot access critical information about the projects that are reshaping their lives.

In a video message during the online launch of the report, Dr. Pichamon Yeophantong, a member of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, underlined the special obligations of development banks (DFIs), like KfW. As official agents and an essential part of international development cooperation, they are obligated to act responsibly and fulfill specific moral standards in alignment with the United Nations’ guiding principles on business and human rights.

The Coalition for Human Rights in Development is calling on KfW to take urgent action. The report recommends that the bank adopt a strong and enforceable anti-reprisals policy that includes systematic risk assessments and immediate protection measures when threats emerge.

It urges KfW to guarantee genuine Free, Prior and Informed Consent for Indigenous Peoples, ensuring that they have the right not just to be consulted but to say no to harmful projects. Transparency must be drastically improved, with all project information disclosed in local languages and in accessible formats.

Monitoring must become independent, and accountability mechanisms must be strengthened to provide real remedies when rights are violated. Finally, the report stresses that when harm persists, KfW must be prepared to suspend or withdraw financing rather than continue enabling abuses.

By Witness Radio team.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Africa has ushered in a new era of climate leadership with the adoption of the historic African Leaders’ Addis Ababa Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action at the conclusion of the Second African Climate Summit (ACS2) on Wednesday, 10th. This landmark agreement not only redefines Africa’s role in the global climate debate but also showcases the continent’s unity, determination, and potential to drive innovation, justice, and sustainable solutions.

Over 25,000 people attended the three-day Summit that ran from 8th to 10th of September, and was organized by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in partnership with the African Union. Those in attendance included heads of state, ministers, representatives from civil society, the private sector, indigenous leaders, young people, and scholars. The Summit concluded with ambitious pledges aimed at positioning Africa at the forefront of the global climate economy, under the theme “Accelerating Global Climate Solutions: Financing for Africa’s Resilient and Green Development.”

During the Declaration, the Africa Climate Innovation Compact (ACIC) was launched, headed by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The ACIC, a key component of the Addis Ababa Declaration, is a collaborative platform that aims to foster the development and implementation of innovative climate solutions across Africa. By 2030, the Compact hopes to deliver 1,000 African-led climate solutions in vital areas like energy, agriculture, water, transportation, and resilience, while also raising $50 billion a year in catalytic finance. Leaders underlined that money for adaptation needs to be viewed as a legal duty of the developed world, not as charity, and should be provided in grants rather than loans that might make Africa’s debt problem worse.

The Addis Ababa Declaration also underscores the importance of scaling up existing African initiatives, including the African Union Great Green Wall, the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative, and Ethiopia’s Green Legacy. These initiatives, rooted in Africa’s indigenous solutions, demonstrate that the continent already possesses the tools to transform vulnerability into resilience, a fact that should fill us all with pride and optimism.

Partners and financial institutions united behind Africa’s agenda. In an effort to channel green bonds and creative instruments tailored to Africa’s realities, the African Development Bank announced the operationalization of the African Climate Change Fund. This fund will provide financial support for climate adaptation and mitigation projects across the continent. At the same time, the Africa Finance Corporation, AfDB, Afreximbank, and Africa50 signed a framework for cooperation to realise the $100 billion Africa Green Industrialization Initiative, which aims to revolutionize industrial growth and renewable energy on the continent. These partnerships and financial commitments are crucial in supporting Africa’s transition to a green economy.

Furthermore, the Addis Ababa Declaration received significant backing from donor nations. Italy reaffirmed its $4.2 billion Italian Climate Fund, with 70% earmarked for Africa, while Denmark committed $79 million for agricultural transformation. These substantial financial commitments should reassure the continent that the international community has confidence in Africa’s climate initiatives.

Other aspects in the Declaration emphasized the continent’s goal of bridging the resilience and energy gaps. Within the next ten years, the Mission 300 Agenda seeks to give 900 million Africans access to clean cooking solutions and 300 million to modern energy. To climate-proof Africa’s cities, infrastructure, and food systems, the second phase of the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP 2.0) was announced, with a target of $50 billion by 2030. To ensure that Africa’s cobalt, lithium, and rare earth resources support local industrialization, job creation, and economic transformation, in addition to contributing to global clean energy supply chains, leaders have also advanced a Green Minerals Strategy.

The moral position of the Addis Ababa Declaration is equally essential. Leaders emphasized how Africa bears a disproportionate amount of the consequences of climate change despite contributing the least to global emissions. They contended that this gives the continent a special moral right to demand justice internationally. Ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the Declaration embodies a unified African voice by prioritizing innovation, nature-based solutions, and equitable financing.

Delegates described the Addis Ababa gathering as a demonstration of Africa’s ability to convene, lead, and deliver solutions that resonate beyond its borders. Over 240 side events, 43 exhibitions, and 23 national pavilions showcased Africa’s technological innovations, policy frameworks, and community-driven solutions, reinforcing the idea that the continent is ready to lead.

The government of Ethiopia and the African Union Commission have pledged to shepherd the implementation of the Addis Ababa Declaration, ensuring that the commitments made at ACS2 translate into tangible results for communities across the continent.

By Witness Radio team.

Tomorrow, September 11, 2025, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and smallholder farmers from within and outside the East African (EA) region will meet to critically review, discuss, and provide recommendations on the draft East African Community Seed and Plant Varieties Bill, 2025.

Gazetted in February by the East African Community Gazette, the Bill’s objective is to provide for the coordination of evaluation, release, and registration of plant varieties among Partner States; to provide for standard processes for seed certification and the protection of plant varieties within the Community; and to provide for related matters.

The preliminary findings from farmers and CSOs on the Bill reveal that if passed in the current form, it poses a significant risk to farmers’ rights, seed sovereignty, and the rich agro-biodiversity of the region. This biodiversity, comprising a diverse array of crops and plant species, forms the foundation of food security and climate resilience in the area. The Bill could potentially lead to a loss of these diverse plant varieties, threatening the region’s food security and agricultural sustainability.

They further state that the Bill, in its current form, blatantly violates Article 6(d) of the EAC Treaty, which promotes the principles of social justice, equal opportunities, and the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights. This violation demands immediate Action, highlighting the injustice at hand.

In the webinar slated for tomorrow, the theme ‘What’s at Stake for Smallholder Farmers?’ It will be of utmost importance, emphasizing the significance of your participation. The participants will further discuss the more profound implications of the Bill and point out alternative routes for broader engagement on the Bill, suggesting safeguards for smallholder farmers and fortifying resilient food systems.

The webinar will be broadcast live on Witness Radio from 3 to 5 p.m. EAT. For more information on how to follow the discussion, visit our website at www.witnessradio.org and press the ‘Listen Live’ button on the right-hand side of the website, or go to your Play Store and download the Witness Radio app.